To watch a play about high school kids performed by high school kids on a stage in the gym of the high school where I taught for 23 years is both wonderful and peculiar. So when I sat in my seat to see Mean Girls–The Musical, deftly directed by Megan Taylor and Lachelle Morris, I began to have a meta-nostalgic-theatrical experience that was unexpected. Look, there’s the bent metal handle of the stage gate that I’d tugged upon many, many times. See the worn out doors behind which are carts that hold the folding chairs. Behold the stage itself, a veritable museum for the thousands of feet that danced upon thee.
The Mean Girls franchise began with the 2004 film, then its sequel in 2011, then the musical in 2018, then the 2024 movie version of the musical. The plot is familiar to many—innocent girl comes to America, enrolls in the Hollywood version of high school, meets two artsy pals, displays her impressive math skills, falls for cute boy, and then gets pulled/pushed into the flashy fake world of The Plastics, the cool girls whose sexy sexiness entitles them to run North Shore High School until a bus changes the paradigm.
As a teacher who taught for a long time, and having witnessed and worked against the meanness of kids of all genders, from toddlers to teens, I will admit to a hefty pile of reluctance to embrace the celebrated joys and messages of any Mean Girls product. And yet when Scarlette James shows up as new kid Cady Heron, darned if the charming didn’t begin. Her strong voice and genuineness, matched by her first friends Damian and Janis (Colby Tong and Ava Denier, both so so good), are the core of this ambitious show. There were so many terrific moments made possible by terrific acting—Landon Willis as the love interest Aaron glowed, Khalil Carim owned the house as math rapper Kevin G., and Amelia Ericson’s Ms. Norbury was more warm and real than ridiculous. There was outstanding dancing (well done Morris, Kaeleigh Thorp, Kira Hannigan), impressive lighting (yay, Katy Velasco), and fun set pieces designed by Issa Brandt, built by their crew, then moved on and off the stage by the black-clad superheroes.
There are also the mean girls in Mean Girls, and for them I have special praise. If Cady is the captain of team normal, then Regina is her opposite, commander of the rotten hotties, played so well by Samantha Cleminshaw that when she gets her harsh comeuppance, the crowd cheered! Flanking the top pink flamingo are Kira Hannigan as Karen (not that Karen, but kinda) and Portia Cooper as Gretchen. This is a trio of terror in many ways as they strut about reminding everyone in the audience of the real spoiled versions they went to high school with that still make you mad. Well done, actors!
Mean Girls–The Musical was a lot of fun, absolutely should be seen, and continues the tradition of well-done shows at Jetland. But I have to close this review seriously. The night I went, I shared a row with a group of young girls—upper elementary age—and I could not help but wonder what they took away from the story. Goodness emerges from the crucible of teenage bullying, and the song “Fearless” encourages everyone to be true to themselves, kind to all, and proud of being good at math. But in real life, at least when I taught, the light seemed to shine brightest on those most privileged, most attractive, best dressed. The homecoming and prom kings and queens are rewarded with bouquets and crowns. Kids who come from money drive themselves and their pals off campus for lunch rather than eat the cafeteria food. Did the youngsters sitting alongside me get that The Plastics are plastic? Early in the show Cady is given a tour of the cliques and advised to avoid them all, yet I couldn’t help but think how important those smaller communities are for so many high school students. Eventually, she joins the math team, dons their shirt, and helps them achieve glory. I hope my show neighbors saw the value of that, of finding your people, and then learning to respect and celebrate all the groups that make up what is heaven to some and hell to others—high school.
One last huzzah. Encinal has been a junior/senior high school for more than a decade, so kids from age 12 to 18 share the recently beautifully renovated campus. It’s a wide range of noodles all in one pot that presents challenges and incredible opportunities for integrated learning. Last night on the Moorhead Stage at 210 Central Avenue I saw youngsters and young adults act, sing, and work together. Not every step was synchronized, some arms waved slower than others, but what stood out was the cast of hearts that trod those legendary boards. Well done, West End.
Mean Girls–The Musical runs this coming weekend, March 28, 29, and 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and those 65 and older, and can be purchased at the door or online. For more information visit the Encinal Drama Club website, check out their @encinaldrama Instagram page, or call 510-748-4023.
Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players, a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane.
